The Tree That Falls and Makes No Sound
by RudyLux
Summary: Everyone thought that Percy walked out on his family three years ago. He didn't. When Rookwood dies, the imperius is lifted and Percy is left struggling with his reclaimed free will. Unable to face his family, he finds refuge in the care of an eccentric muggle with an odd taste in art.
1. a whispered loss upon wind

AN: Everyone thought that Percy walked out on his family three years ago. He didn't. When Rookwood dies, the imperius is lifted and Percy is left struggling with his reclaimed free will. Unable to face his family, he finds refuge in the care of an eccentric muggle with an odd taste in art.

Audrey Blake was minding her own business, stumbling home after a drunk night at the club, when a nearly catatonic red-head is literally dropped on top of her. Her habit of taking in strays extends to this odd, broken man, and she finds herself becoming increasingly attached to her new roommate.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I a witch disguised as a fanfic writer.

* * *

The exact moment Augustus Rookwood died, Percy Weasley was walking down the streets of London, carrying a bag of groceries. Nobody noticed the blank, almost milky white eyes, or the stiff, robotic posture. The almost unnerving, expressionless pale face, or the way his shirt and coat seemed to hang off his bony frame.

They did however, notice when that paper bag fell to the ground, and the young red-headed man keeled over, gasping and choking as if he'd forgotten how to breath (which he very well might have). His face went a ghastly shade of white as he fell to his knees. Hands grabbed his hair, holding on so tightly that little beads of blood started to appear at the roots. An awful sounding keen escaped his throat as her curled up on the pavement.

Unresponsive, he barely noticed as people squeezed his shoulder or gently shook him. All he knew in that moment was that the lights were two bright and the sounds were too loud. Even the mild summer heat caused goosebumps to spread across his sensitive skin.

If he had stuck around long enough for the ambulance, Doctors would have said that he suffered from severe sensory deprivation, even though the explanation would make no logical sense and baffle them to no end.

Instead, just as the blaring sirens could be heard, Percy flew to his feet, eyes glazed and almost feral. He backed himself into the brick wall until he couldn't go any further, just wanting to escape the chaos around him.

Barely aware of the wand in his hand and the wide-eyed public surrounding him, he twirled on the spot and vanished to the crowds astonishment. One lady's hand flew to clutch her cross, lips whispering a silent prayer.

Few people noticed the red curly lock as it floated to rest at the pavement. The only sign that Percy Weasley was there at all.

Hundreds of miles away, the Weasley family celebrated the end of the war, and the miracle that they all got out alive. It would be another two weeks before they realized that one of their own had disappeared.


	2. the star thats just a black hole now

" _...You let your face grow long..."_

All Audrey Blake wanted to do was get home in one piece. Preferably without falling over or losing her purse. So far, she'd been doing a good job if she did say so herself. Her feet dragged slightly, and she was pretty sure that home was only ten more minutes away.

" _I am the eggman."_

So getting sloshed without plans for a ride home might have not been the smartest thing in the world. Especially when home happens to be down a rather ominous dirt road. But when have nineteen year olds ever been the brightest crayon on the box?

" _They are the eggman!"_

Giggling, she silently congratulated herself as she narrowly missed tripping into the ditch. Even in the dim streetlight, she could see the mud shining. Still grinning, she stumbled along. Sweat beaded on her upper lip, and she swore to herself to never wear the leather jacket after July again.

" _I am the walrus!"_

Her pitch was warbly and so high pitched that soon only dogs would be able to hear it, but in that moment, she decided that she sounded just like Marilyn Monroe. She made a mental note to her sober self to get started on a demo tape.

" _Goo goo g'_ -Fucking hell!"

The world tilted sideways as something limp and heavy slammed into her, sending her tumbling head first into the dirt and mud. The heavy thing landed solidly on top of her, effectively pinning her down.

"Fucking Christ!" She moaned. "What the fuck?"

Groaning, Audrey squirmed out from under the weight, cold mud squelching between her fingers and bare toes, heels having slipped off in the fall. Sitting up in the ditch, she squinted her eyes, waiting for the world to come back into focus.

Suddenly feeling incredibly sober, big brown eyes widened as she hesitantly reached out, giving the limp body a solid poke, flinching back as it whimpered.

"You alright there mate?" She asked uncertainly.

The guy just groaned, curling up into a ball. Audrey glanced around the empty street, wondering where he even came from. It was like he just popped up out of thin air.

Should she call an ambulance? Or maybe see if he had a phone on him? How did he even hit her so hard? She thought she would have heard him running toward her. All she had heard though was a loud crack before he was on top of her.

"Is there someone I can call? Do you need help?" She asked.

Finally, he looked up. Several wet strands of red hair plastered to his face. His hazel eyes blinked groggily at her. "H'lp."

His voice was cracked and hoarse, like he'd been screaming. His face was suddenly filled with so much pain and heartbreak, that Audrey felt her heart go out to him. She had always been a bit of a sucker for puppy-eyes. Gently, she squeezed his arm.

"Can you stand?"

Slowly and carefully, she managed to get her arm around his back and lift him to his feet. She was shocked out how light he was, definitely at least twenty pounds lighter than herself, and at a hundred and forty, she wasn't exactly heavy-set.

"What's your name?" She asked gently.

He just blinked again. "P'cy."

"Sorry?" She leaned in close until his breath was warm in her ear. He murmured again and this time she heard it.

"Percy? Alright Percy, do you want me to call someone?"

Blearily, he shook his head. Audrey sighed. "Where's your house? Or do you want me to call an ambulance?"

Again, he shook his head, confusion colouring his face. He was definitely on something. Even in the dark, Audrey could see that his pupils were blown. He wouldn't stop trembling either. Audrey thought that maybe she should just call an ambulance. If it wasn't drugs, it was some sort of mental breakdown and she didn't think she could deal with either.

Balancing the man against her, Audrey clumsily reached into her pocket for her phone. She then cursed rather loudly. Of course she had left it at home! The one time she actually needed the damn thing, and she left it at home!

Glancing at her shocky looking companion again, Audrey figured that she could probably just leave him here while she ran home to call the cops. Home wasn't that far off, and she could grab a blanket while she was there.

"H'lp," he said again, clutching at her jacket weakly. Wet eyes peered up at her, filled with fear.

"Shit," she muttered. "Alright. Think you can walk a bit?"

It quickly became obvious that he couldn't. With a roll of her eyes, she slung his arms over her shoulders and wrapped her arms under his thighs. He struggled weakly for a second as she hoisted him onto her back, but soon relaxed, his cold cheek pressed against hers.

He was light. Far too light for his height. She stumbled slightly, mind still foggy from copious amounts of whiskey. Maybe that was why bringing a passed out possible junkie (who she didn't plan to shag) home with her didn't seem like a terrible, or at the very least unconventional idea.

"You owe me," she muttered. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Her shoes remained forgotten in the mud.


	3. swallower of anger

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I live to please!_

* * *

Percy woke up, sweating slightly. His head slowly cleared and he became aware that he was lying on something soft. Something softer was draped up to his chin and he shifted so that it covered his face. His head hurt and his joints ached. He wanted to rub his eyes, but his limbs were like lead and he wasn't even sure if he remembered how to use them.

Without his glasses, the world was a mass of muted colours, and he thought he liked it better that way. It made it easier to stay underwater where the world was quiet. The only thing he could somewhat make out was the soft, mint green pillow pressed against his cheek.

He didn't know where he was, but he figured it didn't matter. Any moment, his body would start to move, forcing him to keep himself alive when all he wanted was to fade away. Get up. Eat. Go to work. Say what they tell him to. Do what they tell him to. Meanwhile Dad was a few feet away and couldn't hear him screaming-

"You're awake."

An unfamiliar voice, gentle and feminine. Something new crouches down in front of him. A blurry blob of inky black, surrounding a small and pale circle. Two flecks of pale blue peering at him. Percy flinched and closed his eyes tightly.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

 _Everything_ , Percy wanted to say, but his voice was gone. Her voice was too loud, sending flares of pain through his skull. Everything was too bright, and his skin crawled. He felt like a stranger in this body, and he just wanted to find a hole to crawl into and die.

He heard a soft sigh, and then a hand on his shoulder, withdrawing quickly when he flinched. "Let me know if you need anything. Alright?" The voice was soft and gentle.

Percy curled up tighter and listened to her fading footsteps. Briefly, he wondered if she was an angel and he was dead. But if he was dead, surely he'd feel better than this, right? Unless he was in Hell. Maybe he was. Were they his sins even if he had no choice?

Maybe there was no death. Or maybe this mockery of life he's lived was really his Hell and he's been dead for a long time...

When Percy opened his eyes again, his vision was a bit clearer, the light wasn't quite as bright, and his skin didn't itch quite so much. His head was still a chaotic mess of confusion, terror, and pain, and his heart sped up when he couldn't find anything familiar. No brick fireplace, no clock with his face on it, no knitting basket-

No Mum in the kitchen because last time he saw her she cried and he wanted to turn back and comfort her, but his legs weren't his own and the door slammed behind him; he'd never see her again unless they made him kill her and-

A soft hand touched his shoulder, not too familiar, but familiar enough, and this time he didn't flinch away, but leaned into the contact. The hand then moved to his back and rubbed circles into the practically non-existent flesh.

"You feeling better buddy?" The voice asked and Percy wondered how he ever could have found it loud and painful. It was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard, promising safety and _it's finally over. I'm free I'm free I'm free and I can open my eyes by myself now._

Slowly, his eyes peeled open. The girl was crouched down in front of him, her face inches from his own. Hair so dark it was almost black waved and curled past her shoulders. The biggest pair of eyes he'd ever seen were full of concern and curiosity. Her pale pink lips curved into a frown.

 _If I am dead,_ he thought, _she's definitely an angel._

"W'ter," he rasped.

The frown turned into a relieved smile and she nodded. "Coming right up."

Leaning back, she reached behind her and picked up a glass with a weird stick-thing sticking out of it. She held the end of the stick to his lips, raising an eyebrow when they didn't part, and even poking him in the face with it.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He just blinked. Why was there a stick in the water? What did she want him to do with it? Her frown was back and he felt regret. He liked her smile. It was pretty and made him feel like everything was going to be okay. When she prodded him again, he relented and opened his mouth.

It was chewy, whatever it was. He poked at it with his tongue and found that it was a hollow tube. Something in his mind clicked and he sucked...only to immediately choke when the water rushed up and hit the back of his throat.

The glass disappeared immediately and the hand was rubbing his back again.

"Easy," the girl soothed. "Not so fast now."

When the coughing subsided, the glass was held up again. This time Percy knew to be more careful. The water tasted like heaven going down his parched throat. The girl smiled again, patting his shoulder as she took the empty glass away.

"Better?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You hungry at all?"

As soon as she mentioned it, he felt his stomach give a loud grumble. He suddenly realized that he could smell something good. He took another deep inhale. It was so familiar and wonderful but he couldn't remember what it was. It smelled like home and love and he wanted it now.

"Whoa! Easy!" The girl caught him as he tried to pull himself up off the couch and his head started spinning. Weakly, he clutched her arms and let her guide him to sit back down. He sighed in frustration. He just wanted to stand up! He wanted eat something and actually taste it! Why weren't his limbs working the way they should?

"You have to relax," the girl said. "Just relax and I'll bring you some supper. Alright?"

Weakly, he nodded, hands fisting against the quilt wrapped around him. His angel stood up, but not before giving him a stunning grin and taking his hand in hers and lightly shaking it.

"I'm Audrey by the way," she said, "Audrey Blake."

"Percy," he said quietly. "...Weasley," he added as an afterthought.

If she thought his last name was odd, she didn't give any indication. "Nice to meet you Percy Weasley."

He could hear her moving around in the kitchen. She began to hum and her soft voice was like a balm on his shattered nerves. He felt himself relaxing as his eyes drifted shut.

Chicken soup, he suddenly remembered. That was what he was smelling earlier. Like his mum would make for him when he was sick-No. Can't think about them. They hated him and thought that he was a no-good Ministry loving prick who made his mother cry-

"This is so fucked up," he muttered.

"What is?" Audrey reappeared in the living room, holding a steaming bowl. She set it down on the coffee table and took a seat on a plush looking red armchair. It was then that Percy finally took a look at his surroundings; well as much as he could anyways.

He realized immediately that Audrey was a muggle. The walls were painted dark blue and had various unfamiliar ornaments on them. One was a circle with what looked like string weaved into it with feathers hanging down. Another he recognized as a painting of the Wild Hunt. There were other poster paintings that he'd never seen before.

From his position on the couch, he could see the dining room and the sliding glass door and through that the porch and backyard. He wondered how he missed the small...telly-visan (tel-vision?) in front of him.

"Where am I?" He finally asked.

"My house," Audrey said. "I didn't think you wanted me to call the police. I had to drag you back here."

Percy bit his lip. He didn't remember much about last night. Only a mess of colour and sound until finally blissful darkness. He thought he might have apparated somehow, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Where's my wand?" he asked, voice cracking.

"Wand?" Audrey frowned.

He nodded almost frantically. "My wand! Long brown stick with a carved handle?"

"Sorry mate," she said. "I didn't see anything like that."

Percy wanted to cry. Not only was he as weak as a kitten, now he was trapped god-knows-where in the muggle world with no way of contacting anyone or getting out. Pain and humiliation at having lost his most precious belonging raged through him, making his chest ache and his stomach turn.

"When you say wand...what do you mean? Like a toy wand?" Audrey frowned, as if she was trying to figure out why a grown man would be so torn up over a child's toy.

A harsh, wet laugh escaped Percy's throat. His hands dug into his hair, pulling at the roots and sending stinging pain throughout his scalp. His shoulders shook and he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. He gasped and wheezed, wide eyes staring at the floor as he rode out the panic attack.

"Jesus! Calm down. Oka-THE FUCK?"

The panic in her voice managed to snap Percy out of his painful fog. His head snapped up as he looked into Audrey's wide, bugging eyes. Blearily, he looked in the direction she was staring at. His mouth dropped open.

Behind him, her bookshelf was tilted halfway to the floor. Cracks had appeared along the sides and several books were hovering about a foot up in the air. Percy swallowed, his panic suddenly draining out of him, leaving him exhausted.

The bookcase finally crashed to the floor, the lamp on top shattering. Percy bit his lip, staring down at the mess. He recognized the burst of accidental magic immediately even though he hadn't had one since he was twelve.

And it had happened in front of a muggle.

Slowly, he turned back to the stunned face of Audrey Black. Her mouth was open, lips forming a perfect O, and her eyes were two saucers. She was staring at him with a look of shock and confusion.

He shrugged helplessly. "I'm a wizard."


	4. refuge for the lost

Audrey took another deep gulp of whisky as she eyed the self-proclaimed wizard sitting on her couch. Seriously? She was supposed to believe that this freckly little ginger was a wizard? He was no Gandalf. If anything, he reminded her more of Mickey Mouse when he stole the magician's hat.

But the last half hour she'd spent cleaning up her living room said otherwise, though she'd gone blissfully blank as she sorted out the mess, her brain still trying to process the complete decimation of the laws of physics that had taken place in her double-wide.

Percy Weasley fiddled with his fingers, nervously watching her. His head was bowed and he looked for all the world like a kicked puppy. Every so often, he'd look like he wanted to say something, before looking away again.

He'd tried to explain that it was accidental, but she just shushed him and continued cleaning, telling him to eat his soup.

Hundreds of questions raced through her mind until she could barely think straight. Were there more wizards like him? Witches? Were fairies real too? Greek Gods? God? Ghosts? Aliens? Where did he come from, and why did he look like an escapee from the nut-house? With his bloodshot eyes and constant twitching, he looked like he should be on some sort of medication for PTSD. Not knowing where to even begin, she stayed silent and focused on rearranging her books back into their proper order.

All in all, Audrey felt like she was doing a pretty good job at keeping cool after having reality as she knew it crack and crumble into dust. She glanced over at Percy again, who was chewing on his lower lip, empty bowl on the table in front of him. He pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders, watching his host nervously, like he expected her to cast him out on his arse.

Audrey took a deep breath, set her glass down, and went over the facts. Facts were good to think about. They were solid and inarguable. She went over facts a lot. It helped her stay grounded.

 _-There's a boy with no ID, phone number, or emergence contact sitting on my couch._

 _-He seems to have problems with his brain. Not a doctor. Have no idea._

 _-Wizard. No hoax. Made the bookshelf float. Also has no wand._

 _-His name is Percy Weasley. He seems nice._

That was all she had so far. Audrey frowned, glancing up at Percy. He was now staring down at his bare feet on the carpet. She needed more intel. More to work with. He didn't seem to have anywhere to go, or anyone he was willing to contact.

She made a to do list in her head.

 _-Get more information. Family. What happened to him. Where to take him._

 _(If he doesn't have anywhere to go)Option 1: keep him. Option 2: police._

Well shit. Would she have the heart to call the police if he had nowhere? She certainly couldn't just keep him like a stray...right? She sighed, tapping her pen against the notebook. She knew she was getting ahead of herself. That he was probably waiting for her to stop whatever she was doing and just give him a ride.

She needed to be prepared for anything though. He hadn't said a word about his family. Surely if he had somewhere to go, he would have told her already?

Audrey felt a lot like a shrink and very out of her comfort zone as she turned to Percy. He seemed to shrink under her gaze, as if he'd rather be anywhere else. She could see him twitching, and now that she was really looking, noticed how he seemed to squint.

"So," she began, "Do you have family?"

To her confusion, his face crumpled and he resumed staring at the floor. "I did," he murmured. "They wouldn't want to see me."

So he had a family. He was just estranged. She wondered if he was gay. She knew a few people who had been kicked out by their so-called family. She supposed that prejudice probably would extend to wizards too. "Do you have any friends you want to contact?"

He shook his head, saying nothing else. Audrey held back a sigh of frustration. "Is there anywhere you want to go? Hospital? Police? Shelter?"

Percy looked rather terrified by the idea. He shook his head violently, clutching his blanket tighter as if he was waiting for her to kick him out. How could someone who was obviously in his twenties manage to look like a five year old?

Audrey was at war with herself. She couldn't just keep him there! He wasn't a puppy (no matter how much he looked like one) and she needed to think of herself. And yet, the thought of phoning the police to cart him away left a bad taste in her mouth.

Percy Weasley obviously needed some kind of help. She didn't know if she could give it to him. She was just a white trash stripper living in a trailer park for God's sake! How on earth could she help him? She couldn't even keep her lawn green.

"You can call the police if you want," he said quietly, despite the look of earlier fear. "Or just drop me off in London. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Oh Lord...

With a sigh, Audrey knew her mind was made up. There was no way she was leaving the poor sod to fend for himself. He probably didn't even have any proper ID or paperwork. Just from the way he reacted when he realized his wand (magic wands! Jesus!) he wouldn't last a day before getting himself into trouble.

Audrey thought about how, of anywhere he could have ended up, he literally landed on top of her. As if they were meant to meet. She'd never really believed in fate before, but now she wasn't so sure. If magic existed, why not fate and destiny? Hell, maybe God himself really did have some grand plan for them all.

 _Enough with the bible thoughts. The last thing I need is an existential crisis_. She shook her head, and made her decision.

"Well, if you don't have anywhere you need to be, you could stay here if you want?" She smiled slightly as the shocked look passed over his face.

"I don't want to be a bother," he said quietly.

"You're not," she said firmly, forcing herself to believe it. "I work late and sleep late, so as long as you don't mind that, you can stay while you work things out."

Audrey knew she had made the right choice when Percy looked at her with overly bright eyes and a look of pure gratitude "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you so much."

She shrugged. "I hope you don't mind a pull-out couch. The extra bedroom is kind of my art studio."

"Pull-out?" He cocked his head.

Something occurred to Audrey. "Percy? What do you know about electricity?"

"Elekticity is a muggle source of power," he replied intelligently.

She winced. "Airplanes? Cars? The muggle world in general?"

He shrugged, ducking his head in embarrassment. "Not much. Muggles are strange and confusing and I don't know how they make arrow-planes stay up. I can drive," he added helpfully. His arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. He was clearly spent. Maybe that burst of magic Audrey witnessed earlier had something to do with it.

"That's good," Audrey said, though it wasn't good at all. "I can teach you the rest."

So he had no idea how to function without magic. She supposed it made sense that wizards would keep to themselves. Maybe they even had their own world. "So what happened to you?"

Percy shifted uncomfortably. "War."

She blinked. "A war?"

He nodded, suddenly looking miserable. "Worked for the ministry. Couldn't escape. I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," she said quickly, "it's okay."

A wizard war refugee. That was new. This just kept getting better and better. Audrey poured herself another shot of whisky, sighing as the liquid burned down her throat. "So I need to go to work at six today, but I have tomorrow off, so we can go shopping. Alright?"

He cocked his head. "For what?"

"Clothes. Maybe an encyclopedia."

"You don't have to-"

"-well you can't wear my clothes," she smiled wryly. "It'll be fun. You can pay me back later."

He nodded wearily, his eyes fluttering slightly.

"You want to go back to sleep? Or you could watch the telly if you want?"

"Telly-vision?"

The realization that he'd probably never seen a telly before, let alone watched one, sent a jolt of excitement through her. At the very least, she could make a dork out of him. She grinned and grabbed the remote. "Scoot over." Squeezing in beside him, she flipped through the channels until she found a re-run of _Coronation Street._

"I'll show you _Seinfeld_ tomorrow. And you'll definitely want to see _Doctor Who_!"

"What's _Doctor Who_?"

The question was music to her ears. "You'll love it."

New to do list. Take new roomie shopping for clothes. Stop at video store to rent whatever seasons of Doctor Who she could find. Maybe some old 80s fantasy flicks. Maybe he'd get a kick out of some King Arthur.

She smiled as his eyes lit up at the telly. Like he'd never seen anything like it before. Audrey beamed. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. make no sound and brush emotions off

Standing in front of the fridge, Percy was frozen in place, with his fingertips just barely brushing the handle. His eyes were glassed over as he struggled to find himself again. Because before, he had orders to eat. To keep himself alive and well. Now there was no voice in his mind, reminding him to keep living. He twitched as he struggled to remember how to move, panic rising inside of him. What if he was stuck like this? Frozen in place until he keeled over and died on this kitchen floor.

He almost wished the spell was back and that thought alone was enough to make bile rise into his throat. He should be happy dammit! He should be able to get himself a goddamn carrot from the fridge! Small choked sounds, dull and muted to his ears, escaped his throat. An almost silent call for someone to help. To pull him back to himself.

A soft hand wrapped around his own shaking one. Thumb rubbing circles over his knuckles. Another hand rubbed his back.

"Breathe, darling," a calm voice pierced through the fog. "You're alright. Just take a deep breath now."

Slowly, Percy came back to himself, blinking owlishly. He glanced at his hand wrapped around the handle of the fridge, and the soft hand with red nails wrapped around his. He looked over to Audrey's big round eyes and relieved smile.

"Back with me?"

He nodded. Looking back to the fridge, he pulled it open and grabbed the carrot he'd wanted. Shame pooled in his gut and he avoided her gaze as he made it back to the pull-out bed, curling up against his pillow.

If Audrey was curious about his little breakdown, she didn't say anything. There was the sound of a can popping open as Audrey sat down beside him and turned the telly on; something that never failed to amaze Percy. He almost thought about how jealous his dad would be if he could see him now, but quickly pushed the memories down. He was getting better at not thinking about it.

"You ever see Beauty and the Beast?" She asked.

Percy shook his head.

"You'll love it."

She had been saying that about everything. Percy found she was usually right.

"You ready to do this?" She asked.

He shook his head, words catching in his throat, hands digging into his hair.

He didn't want to leave the house. It was safe here. Quiet. He wasn't expected to be a person here like he was outside. There were people out there who would see him. His skin crawled at the thought. What if _they_ found him? They might find him and drag him back, away from this angel and he'd be locked back up in his own head.

"You need clothes," Audrey said firmly. "I doubt you want to wear mine forever."

The baggy pink hoodie and girls sweatpants might have once bothered him, and he could only imagine what his classmates would say if they could see him, but when it was only him and Audrey, he couldn't give it a second thought.

 _Sure,_ he wanted to say. _Just don't make me go out there._

Instead, he nodded, swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to remember what it was like to be a Gryffindor, even if he couldn't quite make himself believe he ever was one in the first place.

"Good. There's a thrift shop in town. They usually have good stuff there. Why don't you go take a shower and we'll get going?"

Percy had never actually used a shower before. He almost panicked when the water rushed down on him like heavy rain, and tried not to cry out when the temperature went from Antarctica to the inside of a volcano in less than ten seconds. He eventually figured it out though, and wondered how long he could hide in there for.

His old clothes sat on the counter, freshly laundered and folded neatly. He stared at them for a long time, wanting nothing more than to burn them. He knew he was being ridiculous. That a black button-up should not make his skin crawl the way it did.

With a shaky breath, he got dressed, ignoring the way the clothes itched and seemed to suffocate him.

Purple bags hung under Percy's slightly bloodshot eyes. His cheeks were gaunt and his skin was a waxy pale. He looked like an escapee from St. Mungos. He gripped the counter tightly as memories crashed over him. Bare minimum contact with people. Just enough food not to starve. Sitting in a dark flat staring blankly at the wall until his body shut down.

He could hear Audrey knocking, asking if he was alright. He focused on her voice, letting her pull him back to himself. When she stood in the doorway, forehead creased with worry (for him. She worried for him), he gave her a small, slightly strained smile.

Audrey talked to her station wagon, introducing Percy to it like it was her child. A small flicker of amusement passed through Percy, as he was reminded of wizards who named their wands.

"Her name is Olga," Audrey told him.

The drive into London was about half an hour. Countryside rolled passed them. Audrey cracked the window and lit up a cigarette. She offered one to Percy. They smelled awful and he could only imagine the damage they would do to his lungs.

He took one, hissing when he burned his thumb on the lighter. The smoke set his throat on fire and seared his chest, yet the wave of dizziness that passed through Percy was as closed to relaxed as he'd felt in a very long time. So he coughed and hacked his way through his first smoke, enjoying the rush it gave him and the cathartic feeling it left him with.

"Come on, we're here."

Reluctantly, Percy followed Audrey into what she had called a 'thrift shop'. She led him down the aisles of clothes, stopping at the mens.

"So what size jeans are you?" She asked.

Percy just shrugged. Wizards had spells to measure themselves. They had clothes spelled to fit automatically. He had never really had a need to know his own size. For all he knew, muggles had a completely different system.

"Alright," Audrey said, undeterred. She scanned the racks, and pulls out several pairs of jeans. Shoving them into his arms, she pointed toward the changing room.

"Go try them on. Room's right there."

Everything was so strange. As Percy shrugged out of the black pants, and tried the scratchy muggle pants on, he wondered if muggles did this all the time. They must have, but it seemed like such a hassle to go through this every time you needed a new shirt.

One pair of black pants seemed to fit him alright. Baggy around the legs, but hugged his waist properly. He refused to look at himself in the mirror. Just changed back into his regular pants and carried the pile back to Audrey.

"These fit? Great." She grabbed a few more pairs in that size. "Now go try these on."

No matter how much Percy and always prided himself on his maturity, he would never, ever like clothes-shopping. By the time they were done, he was carrying three pairs of jeans, five short sleeved shirts, five long-sleeved shirts, three sweaters, and four pairs of shorts. On their way back to the front, Audrey also grabbed a package of socks and underwear.

Just as they were reaching the checkout, something caught Percy's eyes. Hanging on a display, was an old black wool coat. It was waist length, and had a nice collar, and he bit down on his lip for even thinking that it should be his. Audrey had already done enough for him. He had no right to ask her for anything. Besides, it was summer. He didn't need it anyway.

"You like it?" Audrey said with a bright smile.

Before he could say anything, she hurried to the display and plucked it off it's hanger. "We'll take this too."

The clerk gave them an odd look as Percy blushed pink. He felt so...spoiled. Growing up, he'd never even thought about asking his parents for something he didn't completely need. He watched as Audrey paid, watching as the tiny little telly read _. He tried to think if that was a lot in muggle money.

Next, Audrey dragged him to another shop. This time, for shoes. He stared at the shelves, completely lost and until Audrey picked out a pair of what she called 'chuck taylors'. "These will suit you great."

When he tried them on, he found himself agreeing. His old shoes went in the bin as they left.

They stopped at a small diner before heading home. Audrey ordered herself a burger. Percy was relieved to find just regular roast beef and didn't hesitate to point to it. Audrey pushed her root beer toward him as he sipped on his tea. The bubbles were awful and the drink stung slightly.

Keeping his head down, he picked at his food. The diner was loud, and he couldn't help but flinch every time there was a sudden loud noise. At one point, some poor waiter dropped his plate of dishes. Percy jumped slightly, his tea sloshing out of his mug. He clapped his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to calm down.

"Everything alright?" Their waitress asked.

"Yeah," Audrey replied. "We'll just get the bill now please."

"It's alright," the waitress said. "It's on the house."

"Why?"

"Well we know it must be a struggle, taking care of someone with mental disabilities like that."

Percy could hear Audrey choke slightly. Then suddenly her hand was gripping his arm, pulling him to his feet. "Let's go Perce," she muttered, face red and eyes filled with anger.

Disabilities? Why would they think-oh. Shame rushed to Percy's cheeks as he glanced backward at their waitress, who's face was filled with embarrassment.

People thought he was crazy. They thought he was incapable of taking care of himself. They thought that they could talk about him right in front of him, because he was too stupid to understand what they were saying.

The ride home was silent, with Audrey's burning anger and her burning cigarette. "People are real arseholes," she said. "Just ignore them."

When they got home, Percy crawled into bed and stayed there for the rest of the day. Audrey grabbed her book and sat down beside him, her leg forming a comforting line of contact down his back.


	6. so much left to learn

_A/N: It has been too long! Work has been nothing but craziness. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

Almost two weeks since Percy joined the household. It only took five days for Audrey's mangy tomcat to make an appearance. Missing several teeth, half an ear, and an eye, Roosevelt was known for making children cry and men go for their guns.

Well, they used to. Two trailers down lived a cranky old widower named Mr. Morrison. He tried to feed Roosevelt to his rottweiler. A nasty dog who possibly had rabies. No one witnessed anything, but that dog now spent most of his days under the porch and pissing himself.

Which is why when Audrey walked into the living room one Sunday morning, she nearly dropped the plate of toast she was carrying when she saw overgrown rat curled up on Percy's chest, purring and leaning in for a scratch behind the ear.

Even more surprising, was the look of content on her roommate's face. For the first time, he looked completely relaxed and at peace. His eyes were no longer darting around, nervously scanning everything, nor were they squeezed shut when he forgot how to move his arms. They were half-mast and staring sleepily at the television. His usually tight mouth was relaxed into a small smile.

After that, it was like Roosevelt had taken it upon himself to adopted the awkward, silent boy.

"Ingrate," Audrey muttered as Roo wound himself between Percy's legs. "I've been feeding you for what? Three years now? And I'm still not good enough to pet you, huh?"

But inwardly, she was glad. Her new roommate still had barely uttered said more than four words at a time. After their supply trip, he'd built his walls higher, and hadn't left the house since. Audrey didn't begrudge him for it. He barely ate anything, so the food bill hadn't increased much, and he only took a shower when she reminded him too.

It scared Audrey, just a little bit. It was like he would just shut off. If she left him now, he would probably forget to eat. Just sit and waste away. Or when he'd be in the middle of doing something, like sipping tea, he'd suddenly stop. He'd go rigid and trembling, and he'd stay locked like that until Audrey talked him down, sometimes helping him complete the action. She'd watch how his eyes turned into liquid pools of terror and despair. A faint ring of brown encircling inky pools.

Slowly though, she felt like they'd been making progress. He'd smile sometimes. He'd even ask an odd question here or there concerning her non-magical life (still wouldn't talk about his own though). He even came outside once or twice to sit on the small porch and watch Audrey try to keep her lawn alive. For some reason, he really seemed to like sitting in her studio, watching her paint.

"What's that?" He asked once.

Audrey regarded the mess of greys and browns. "It's supposed to be a griffin," she replied.

"It's a Hippogriff," Percy said.

"A what-now?"

It was the first time Percy had talked about his world. "You gave it the lower body of a horse. Griffins have the lower body of a lion."

"Huh. Alright then."

They'd fallen into a routine. Routines were good. Stable.

Something nagged at Audrey though. She noticed the way, occasionally, he'd reach into his pocket and a look of sorrow would cross his face. The action confused her at first, but when she finally figured it out, she felt like smacking herself.

The first thing he did when he first woke up was ask for his wand.

"You twat," she muttered at herself.

Other than his burst of what he called accidental magic, caused by extreme stress, he'd shown no other signs. No tables turning or glass breaking. Nothing. Audrey concluded that wizards needed their wands to control their magic. She also guess by Percy's complete lack of understanding in the most basic of technology told her that wizards probably relied on magic for nearly everything.

When he finally figured out how to use the remote, Audrey would never forget the satisfaction on his face. Like he'd uncovered all of the world's mysteries.

She went out and cleared out the thrift store's supply of history books the next day. When she came home, she almost choked on her gum.

Mary and Jenna had invited themselves over (as her friends often did), apparently tired of their friend's constant excuses to not go out for drinks after work, and had clearly made themselves at home.

So Percy was sitting on the pull-out, eating a danish, sandwiched between two very well-endowed women in fishnets and watching the nature channel.

"What is this?" She asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"You didn't tell us your cousin was staying with you," Jenna said accusingly.

Percy shrugged at Audrey's raised eyebrow, the corner of his lip turned up in a smile. He looked for all the world like a regular, well-functioning person. No mysterious trauma weighing him down. Audrey shrugged. "We've been sorting a few things out."

With a smile, she climbed onto the bed, draping herself at the foot of it. "So what's happening with the elephants now?"

After they left, she glared half-heartedly. "Cousin?"

For someone who had just had their world ripped out from under them, Percy was doing an incredible job at adapting. For hours, he'd pour over the books, soaking in every bit of information he could find. A nerd through and through.

But he missed magic. That much was clear.

Audrey slipped out in the early morning, saying she was going for a run. And run she did. Down the road to where she hoped was the location of their first meeting. If wizards needed their wands for magic, then his still had to be somewhere. Hopefully still in one piece.

Within minutes, Audrey's arms were covered in mud and muck. She cursed herself for not thinking of this sooner. She prayed that it would still be in one piece. Percy needed some semblance of control back in his life. Maybe he'd be able to go home. Start to rebuild his life.

That thought left her with a sour taste in her mouth. She's gotten used to his presence, and the thought of him immediately taking off didn't sit well with her. Then again, he said he didn't have family to go back to.

"Come on," she muttered. "Where the hell are you?"

Luck seemed to be in her favor though. A long, smooth stick caught the corner of her eye. She gingerly picked it up, rubbing the dirt off. It was dark brown, smooth, and with a carved handle. This had to be it. No doubt about it.

Grinning like an idiot, she crawled out of the ditch.


	7. cause she belongs to heaven

Audrey was an angel, Percy had decided. An angel sent down to watch over him. He didn't know exactly what he did to deserve such a blessing, but he was far too selfish to deny himself her comfort and patience.

Even if she was a bit of a nutter.

Within two weeks, his life had changed into something unrecognizable. A whole other world had been opened up to him and he found himself enjoying the vast majority of it.

He learned that Audrey was shamelessly and unapologetically what muggles called a stripper. She got up on stage in nothing but her underwear and danced for men. Maybe at one time, Percy might have turned his nose up at such a profession, but if anything, he found himself admiring her confidence in herself. He wondered if there was a time that he felt good about himself, but he couldn't remember.

She also loved the moving drawings on the telly called cartoons and animated movies. Especially if they had the word _Disney_. So far, Percy had watched B _eauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Snow White, Toy Story, Cinderella_ and _The Fox and the Hound._

 _The Fox and the Hound_ absolutely did not make him tear up. He did _not_ sniffle when the old lady had to abandon her beloved pet in the forest.

And he and Audrey were absolutely not bawling messes when the two best friends had to say goodbye forever.

Audrey had books on all sorts of subjects Percy had never even heard of. Muggle fantasy tales and urban legends. Children's fairy tales and huge books about paint and clay and pastels. They were scattered in piles around the house. Percy's OCD tendencies kicked into overdrive and one day she came home to everything neatly organized and polished clean.

Within a few days, she'd managed to mess everything up again. But Percy found he didn't mind. He just cleaned again. And on and on they danced.

When she brought him books on muggle history and science, he'd been rendered speechless. He spent the rest of the day looking through them, and found the muggle world was far more sophisticated then wizards could ever imagine.

Another thing about Audrey that Percy had grown to enjoy were her paintings. The various paintings ranged from soothing and nice, to rather horrifying. There was a black and grey painting of a skull with flowers growing out of it. Next to it was a painting of a cracked egg with a snake winding around it.

His favourites were the ones featuring magic creatures.

 _Can never go back..._

They made him feel a bit more at home in such a strange world.

Audrey's studio quickly became Percy's favourite place. Audrey spent a lot of free time painting, and Percy was content to sit in an armchair and watch her, sometimes for hours at a time. It was like the brush strokes were hypnotizing. He was able to watch and let his mind go blissfully quiet; to not think about anything or any of the people that were constantly lurking in the back of his mind.

As far as he was concerned, the only world that existed was this little muggle home in this little muggle trailer park. Population: three. That was all he needed right now. All he could handle.

"Hey Percy," she said, slipping into the kitchen.

He looked up from his cornflakes, and nearly choked. Audrey's hands were tucked behind her back. Her arms were coated in drying mud. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her beaming face, all pearly white teeth and dimples.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands," she said, a tremor of excitement in her voice.

Confused, Percy did as he was told. He didn't know what he expected. Maybe a new type of muggle treat or a brand new book (in hindsight that was a stupid guess. With her hands covered in muck and all...).

When something thin, and made of wood, and painfully familiar was pressed into his hand, and warm energy rippled through him, Percy's eyes snapped open, a gasp escaping his lips. His fingers closed around something he hadn't allowed himself to believe that he'd ever see again. Other than a couple scratches and a bit stained with dirt, his wand was in perfect working condition. He looked up at Audrey speechless.

She seemed to bounce slightly, her grin widening. "I went looking for it this morning. I knew it still had to be there."

Without even thinking about what he was doing, Percy jumped up from his seat. Audrey let out a startled yelp as he flung his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair. Thin arms wrapped around his waist and she laughed slightly.

"Like it?"

 _Merlin..._ That was the biggest understatement of the century. A lump formed in his throat as he clutched his wand tightly in his hand. He was a wizard again. He would no longer be fumbling around in a confusing world, barely able to take care of his most basic needs.

"Thank you," he murmured. "Thank you."

To his surprise, she pecked him on the cheek and pulled back slightly so they were eye to eye. "I'm glad you like it. I hadn't known whether I'd find it in one piece or not. Does it still work?"

He let his magic answer for him. With a flick of his wand (how amazing that was. He'd never take his magic for granted again) the mud and dirt that coated her disappeared. She looked startled for a moment, but it was replaced by a look of awe.

Her round eyes were a deep brown, the colour of dark chocolate. Her curls framed her petite face, and fore the first time, he noticed the freckles that dotted her cheek. She was so different from anyone he'd ever met. Happy with such a simple life. Completely confident with who she was. She was everything he wasn't. Chaotic, bouncy, disorganize, and sometimes immature but in a good way.

He didn't think twice when he kissed her. He somehow knew that that was the right thing to do.


	8. I'll help you fly

_A/N: I know! It's been forever. It's been a hard month, and I haven't had much energy. But I'm back! I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Didn't really know what to do with it._

 _Warning: Might be a bit more rated M. Maybe? Sorta?_

* * *

Magic. Was. Awesome.

That was it. That was all there was to it. Audrey's house had never been cleaner. No more dishes to be done. No more hassle with folding laundry or vacuuming the floor. She didn't even have to worry about food going bad as Percy put a spell on her fridge and cupboard.

Her mom had always tried to discourage her childhood habit of taking in strays, saying nothing good would come of it, but she disagreed. Taking in her odd companion was decidedly the best choice she ever made.

Ever since he got his wand back, there was a light in Percy's eyes that took her breath away. She watched in awe as the dark circles under his eyes faded. The colour started to come back to his face. He even managed to put on a few pounds.

They hadn't talked about their little trip to first base though. Percy had blushed scarlet, Audrey had given him a wide grin (though her heart was currently doing a samba in her chest). Before she could say anything, he had excused himself and hurried off. Not outside (he still wouldn't go farther than the porch).

So it left them in an odd state of awkwardness. Percy wouldn't acknowledge that anything had happened, and as much as Audrey wouldn't have a problem making a move, she also knew that she would have to tread carefully with this one. It had been a while now since Percy had had one of his episodes and she didn't want to break the cycle now.

But it was starting to get to her. They had breakfast together, joked and laughed. They fell back into their routine quickly, though with the added perk of no longer having to clean, and watching the occasional book float past.

They had had more fun the other night that Audrey figured either of them had had in a very long time. Percy had introduced her to the cheering charm, and the two of them had spent an evening on the couch giggling like twelve year old schoolgirls.

It almost made up for the next day, when Audrey woke up and found him curled up on the pull-out, limbs stiff and trembling, in the middle of the mother of all panic attacks. She had spent the whole morning rubbing his back and trying to get him to breathe properly again before he passed out. He finally snapped out of it after a harrowing twenty minutes, and spend the rest of the morning bending over backwards apologizing, before retreating into his head for the rest of the day.

He still wouldn't tell her what happened to him. Only that there was a war. Then he would clam up until she changed the subject. She learned early on not to ask about his family. The look of emptiness on his face wasn't something she cared to ever see again. She wondered if they died. That would make the most sense. But somehow she had a feeling that something else had happened.

The awkwardness was wearing on her. It wasn't terrible or anything. But there was this thing between them that neither knew how to approach. And now that this little seed of attraction had been planted, Audrey had started to notice things she hadn't before. Like how his hair was four different shades of orange. The freckles dotting his face. The shape of his shoulders and waist. Her eyes drifted a bit lower on more that one occasion.

Gym guys had always been her thing. Thick hulking arms and eight packs glistening in sweat. That kind of stuff. But this small skinny nerd was catching her eye more and more. Of course, she also hadn't gotten laid in almost two months now and her hand could only do so much...

With such a volatile mix of confusion, tension, and sexual frustration, she shouldn't have been so surprised when she finally snapped.

It had been a stressful night at work. Between some jackass copping a feel and another asshole trying to spike a girl's drink, Audrey was in a piss poor mood. The door slammed behind her as she stormed into her bedroom. She could feel Percy's wide eyes following her as she ripped off her fishnets and lacy black top, uncaring that her bedroom door was wide open.

They'd been living together for over a month. She danced naked for men for a living. Tonight she couldn't give two fucks if Percy was behind her, staring at her ass.

"Bad night?" he asked softly.

"What do you think?" she retorted.

"Anything I can do?" he asked.

Maybe it was the tequila in her system. Later, when Percy was fixing a cure for her raging hangover, she would definitely blame it for what happened next.

She spun around to face him, breasts bouncing. His face was flushed crimson, and she smirked when she saw the twitch in his jeans. Enough was enough.

"We never talked about it," she said.

"W-what?" Percy was rubbing his forehead, eyes looking at the wall behind her.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said with a huff. "You ram your tongue down my throat, and then don't even bother to take me to dinner later." her eyes narrowed. "Unless you regret it?"

She would never admit it, but a part of her was almost scared that he had regretted it. Because that would leave them in an even worse place than before. She hadn't realized just how much the little twit had gotten under her skin. What she had considered for a long time now as a small soft spot, was him worming his way into her chest and carving a place for himself next to her heart.

Her mom had always said she had a protective streak, and as far as she was concerned, there wasn't anyone in the world that needed to be protected more than Percy.

Immediately, Percy shook his head. "No! No...I..." he was stammering now. Something he only did when he was about to start panicking. "Of course I didn't. I just..." He looked unsure.

Audrey deflated slightly, ignoring how her chest untwisted. Now that she knew he didn't regret it, she refused to wait any longer. She rested on one leg, naked hip jutting to the side. "Good. So get on with it then."

The way his eyes bugged out brought a wide grin to her face. This was a good idea. She was sure of it. They both needed this. Percy needed to feel something good, and Audrey needed to unwind. And they both needed to take that next step before they went insane.

"Come on," she said, voice softening. "I don't bite."

For a split-second, she wondered if she had gone too far. Maybe she misread the signs. Maybe he wasn't ready and she was putting pressure on him that he didn't need-

But then he was in front of her, covering her mouth with his. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his waist as he explored her mouth with his tongue. They broke away gasping, and she couldn't stop from grinning. "It's about time. You were driving me mad."

He was still redder than a cherry, but the light in his eyes shone brighter than ever. "I wasn't...I didn't know if you wanted..." He didn't even seem to realize that his hands were firmly planted on her arse.

He crashed their mouths together again. Audrey grinned beneath him as he pushed her back down on the bed.

She had a feeling that they wouldn't be needing that pull-out anymore.


	9. keep me dumb, keep me paralyzed

Percy sunk into the velvety couch, Jenna resting beside him. Another patron of the club lay with his head on her lap, hand absentmindedly playing with her fishnets. His black hair hung in his face and he grinned up at Percy.

"So you're Audrey's boy, huh?" Mick grinned toothily. "I don't know how you did it. I've been trying to get that bird for months now."

"Maybe because he's not a drunk little twat," Jenna said, but there was fondness in her voice.

Percy had never been to a place like this. He'd always held the opinion that strip clubs were perverted, dirty places and no place for respectable people. Now here he was, about to watch his girlfriend step onto the stage and shake her hips for strangers.

 _If the twins could see-_

 _No. Don't think about it._

He'd expected to feel disgust, or even anger, but a thrill crept through him. Because these men wanted her, but she was his now. They could look and hope but they would never touch her like he did.

He jumped as Mick ran a hand over his thigh.

"They have lady's night every Tuesday," he said. "I can think of two or more poofs that would love to see you up there."

Jenna gently swatted his hand. "Leave him alone."

Ignoring the heat rushing to his face, Percy turned his attention back to the stage. Another girl named Daisy was up there now, wearing nothing but a lacy black thong, twirling and twisting around the pole. Her song was almost over. Audrey would be next.

When Percy first asked Audrey if he could come watch her work, she'd looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"You sure you want to do that?" she had asked.

He'd just nodded silently. She told him before that this had been a sore spot for several previous relationships. "They say they're fine with it," she'd said, "and then they see what I do, and next thing I know, they're demanding that I quit and find a 'respectable job'." She'd used air quotes, her face betraying how much it had hurt.

"I'm sure," he said. Because how on earth could he ever walk away from his own angel? It was clear that she liked her job, even when it got risky. He found himself wanting to be apart of that more than anything.

She'd come home with a black eye once, and Percy had spent the night fretting and fetching ice packs and painkillers. But she'd assured him that she was fine. That it was a risk she chose to take. And he would have had to have been blind to not see how pleased his worrying made her.

So Jenna kindly stayed by his side, as he tried not to think about the people around him. He tried not to see wands sticking out from every pocket. Tried not to read into every stray eye that looked his way. There were no wizards here. No one who knew him.

No one who would take him back to a world where he watched his body move to it's master's whims while he was stuck screa-

Don't think about it.

The Valium Audrey had slipped him before they got here kept his heart from beating too fast and his mind from tearing itself apart, but it didn't stop the nervous fidgeting and sweaty palms.

"If you need to talk..." Audrey had said as they laid in bed, tangled up in each other. "It might make you feel better."

"Soon," he'd promised. "I just...need a bit more time."

"You doing okay?" Jenna asked, squeezing his shoulder.

Percy nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Jenna had been coming around to the house more and more lately. Once Audrey had explained that no, they weren't cousins, and Jenna had given her a mandatory lecture on being too trusting, she'd taken to Percy quickly, and he'd found himself returning the fondness easily.

While Audrey was small and doll-like, at nearly six feet Jenna towered over most people. She was a gym junkie with thick muscles and an aggressive in-your-face attitude to match. But at the same time there was a softness to her that endeared her to people quickly.

"Here she comes," she said.

Audrey hadn't let Percy see what she would wear, and Jenna chuckled as he crossed his legs.

Gray lacy stockings that stopped mid-thigh. High heels, and a white dress that showed off copious amounts of skin. Her hair was loose, wild curls falling over her shoulders. She met Percy's eyes briefly before her song started.

And Percy found out why she brought home so many tips. He watched with darkening eyes as she begin to dance. She didn't touch the pole even once, just twirled and jumped along the stage. He recognized river dancing immediately.

All eyes in the club were on her as she spun and swayed, teasing her audience. Her eyes locked on Percy's, large and chocolate brown; pink lips pouting out. Percy crossed his legs and bit down hard on his lip. Mick cackled and pulled himself.

By the time her dance ended, there was a neat pile of bills and coins stacked up on the edge of the stage. She collected the bills before hopping down to join them on the couch. Mick pushed a bottle into Percy's hand.

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?" Mick said.

Percy nodded as Audrey took a seat beside him, breathing heavily and shining with sweat. "So what did you think?" She asked.

He just coughed awkwardly. Jenna snickered.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of loud music, beer, and naked women. Audrey paid for one of the other strippers to give Percy his first lap dance, grinning like a psycho at his red face. As Mick got progressively more sloshed, he also got a bit handsy, making several grasps for Percy's ass.

He liked Mick. The guy was a greasy, drunk, pervert with a possible drug problem who treated life like a joke. It was such a contrast from whatever was left of Percy's prim and proper persona.

He'd never had a night out like this before. It was a blur of music, alcohol, and naked women. He watched the love of his life dance, laughed with his new friends, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, his mind was clear of all of the pain and fear that seemed to haunt him.

So of course it couldn't last.

"Hey," Mick slurred. "I'm heading out for a smoke. You wanna come?"

Percy shrugged. Audrey was doing a round of lapdances across the room and it was Jenna's turn on stage. "Sure.

Mick led him outside and around the corner to the entrance of a small alley. He held a smoke out for Percy who took it hesitantly. He'd watched Audrey smoke before, and thankfully remembered to inhale deeply as Mick held his lighter to the end.

And immediately braced himself against the wall as he started retching. Mick giggled and patted him on the back. "Just breathe through it. You'll get used to it."

Percy glared slightly, but took another drag. Then another. As Mick promised, it got easier. The wave of dizziness eventually passed and pretty soon he was leaning against the brick wall, letting the toxic smoke fill his lungs. He felt strangely...cool. He was wearing a leather jacket that Audrey had bought him, and a pair of skinny jeans she'd suckered him into wearing. He felt cool. Tough. Like he could face anything. He turned to watch the people walking by.

And promptly dropped his cigarette to the ground. The blood drained from his face and suddenly hands were on either side of his face, Mick's worried voice trying to penetrate the sudden fog filling his brain. But he couldn't turn away. Couldn't turn away from the the gaze that had locked onto his from across the street. The long, bright red hair shining in the neon.

Bill's eyes were bugging out. His mouth open. A pretty blonde woman at his side that Percy thought he might have known once an eternity ago.

Mick finally followed his gaze to the couple across the street. "Do you know them?"

As Bill took a step toward him, Percy started to shake. His limbs locked up, and his body wasn't his own again. He was frozen, trapped, waiting for the next order.

"Get me out of here," he finally managed to croak. "Please..."

Mick complied immediately, snaking a bony arm around his waist and hauling him back toward the club. He could hear his brother yelling his name and clamped his hands over his ears. He allowed Mick to drag him back inside, grunting as he pulled him through the crowd.

Audrey was on stage again, dancing away. Mick shouted something, and she looked toward them. The sultry smile fell from her face and she didn't hesitate as she bounded off the stage, ignoring the protests and boos from her audience. She pushed her way toward them, and pulled Percy into her arms.

"What happened?"

"There was a guy," Mick explained. "Across the street. Percy just freaked. I think the guy knew him. He's coming over here."

Percy couldn't stop shaking as Audrey pulled him toward the back of the club. He was barely aware of her sputtering manager as she pulled him back into the dressing room and gently pushed him down into a plush armchair.

"Breathe, darling," she said, soft hands cupping his face. "It's alright. You're alright."

Percy shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. The room was spinning and there wasn't enough air. Something warm was sliding down his cheeks and soft lips pressed against his forehead. He leaned into the touch. Hair that smelled like strawberries tickled his nose.

"What happened?"

"My brother," he managed to whisper.

Audrey stroked his hair, planting soft kisses along his cheek. He sighed, and worked on taking deep breathes until the world finally went quiet again. Blearily, he opened his eyes. "Don't let him in here."

"Of course not," Audrey said smoothly. "Tim won't let anyone through."

Guilt pooled in Percy's stomach. He still hadn't told her what happened, unable to bring himself to even think about it. And yet she wasn't pushing him. Wasn't questioning him. Just protecting him and taking care of him like she always did.

He'd tell her. As soon as he could breathe properly and the world stopped moving so fast, he'd tell her everything.

"Can we go home?" He mumbled.

"Of course."

They took a shower together. Percy washed Audrey's hair for her, focusing on the way the water ran down her dark locks. After they dried off, Audrey went to the kitchen to make some tea, while Percy relaxed into the couch and stared at the painting of Hogwarts hanging over the telly. He'd helped her with that one, sitting beside her and showing her what tower went where.

A hot mug was pressed into his hand as Audrey sat beside him. He leaned against her and sipped his tea, exhaustion threatening to overtake him.

"You don't have to-" Audrey began.

"I'll tell you everything," Percy said. "I want to tell you everything."


	10. to feel the pain and heal again

A/N: thank you all for your reviews and wonderful comments. Also thank you for pointing out that I got Audrey's eye color mixed up. My bad! And to the anonymous review who noticed undertones of d/s lifestyle, I write omegaverse novels for a living and wouldn't be surprised if shades of that slipped into my stories :D

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 _Percy Weasley stalked through the hallways of the Ministry. Anger, a sort of indignation, was written clear as day across his face. Disappointment, and a type of hurt were hidden underneath. The kind of hurt that came from finding out your childhood heroes were nothing but smoke and mirrors._

 _His resignation letter was clutched firmly in his hands, though the decision hadn't come easy. That morning, he'd gotten the news that he'd be getting a promotion, and the kind of money that he was turning away wasn't something to be taken lightly. But how could he look his father, whom he'd always idolized, in the eye if he took the position of Cornelius Fudge's stooge?_

 _"Mr. Weasley," came a sweet voice to his right._

 _Resisting the urge to shudder, Percy turned to face Dolores Umbridge. Despite her high pitched voice and pleasant demeanour, there was something about the woman that just made his skin crawl. Unfortunately she was in Fudge's pocket, and therefore, he forced a smile onto his face. He'd give his two weeks, and that would be the last he'd have to deal with her._

 _"Can I help you?" he replied, prim and proper. Always be proper._

 _"Can you just step in here a moment? I need some assistance with this paperwork."_

 _"Of course."_

 _In the coming years, he would go over this moment over and over and over. When the despair and regret and blinding panic threatened to choke him, it would be from thinking of why oh why didn't he turn her down? Why didn't he make up some half-arsed excuse and walk away?_

 _The door closed behind him as he stepped inside, slipping his letter inside his robe pocket. When he looked up though, to see Augustus Rookwood's wand between his eyes, instinct took over. He stumbled back, reaching for his own wand._

 _It would be the last bit of control he'd have over his own body for the next three years._

 _The fight would haunt Percy's nightmares for some time. The sight of his father's face, looking down on him like he was no longer a Weasley, like he was nothing more than a traitor to the light and a disappointment of a son, was seared into his mind._

Dad! Please! _But the words never even formed in his throat. His mum was hunched over the table. She had her head in her hands, sobbing at the loss of her boy._

Mummy...please...look at me...

 _But she never did. He screamed silently as his body carried him out of his house, away from his parents that he thought knew him so well, but couldn't tell that something was wrong. Who didn't care to even check that something was wrong._

 _When he wasn't crying for his mother's arms, or his father's voice assuring him that everything would be okay, bitterness took hold in his heart, festering like an infection. He was right there. He was right there screaming and they didn't notice._

 _On Christmas, when he sat at the table surrounded by his family, with Rufus Scrimgeour beside him, he came to the realization that they couldn't care less of his absence. Sure his mother cried, but only because she was his mother and she had to love him. His father wouldn't look at him, and his siblings' faces were filled with nothing but scorn._

 _He stopped screaming for his family after that._

 _After that, his mind simply drifted. The stabbing pain he felt every time his own father passed him in the Ministry never got better, but he got good at tuning it out. At hiding away in his own head. He recited old fairy tales over and over again. He sang songs he couldn't remember the names of anymore. He went over potions ingredients and charms theory. When his body sat down to do it's daily paperwork, he ventured to the front of his mind and read over every bit of text he could see, no matter how dull, as long as it distracted him from the never ending numbness. The sensation of floating weightless. Nothing but a soul, trapped in an unyielding husk._

 _Then it all ended. One day, the feeling of numbness vanished, leaving behind stiff bones and blinding pain. Wind was too cold and sharp. The sun was blinding and hot. Suddenly, Percy was expected to hold himself up. His legs buckled and concrete dust and gravel bit into his palms as he toppled over like a stack of cauldrons._

 _And then soft hands and a softer voice. The first touch he'd felt in an eternity. The feeling of being carried. Waking up, warm and comfortable. The guardian angel who had pulled him out of the chaos and placed him in a world of peace and quiet, where nothing hurt anymore._

Percy hadn't realized he was shaking until Audrey gently took the cup from his hands. Thin arms wrapped around his shoulder, a hand slipped up to cup one cheek, soft lips pressing against the other. He sighed, leaning into the contact.

It had taken over an hour to get everything out in the open. The overwhelming panic that the nightmare would never end. The pain and hurt that his own family couldn't see that something was wrong. The anger at said family for abandoning him.

"You know what the worst part of it is?" he said with a wet chuckle. "I have twin brothers right? Identical right down to the freckle, and matching personalities to boot. Mum has never had trouble telling them apart. But she couldn't even tell that she was talking to a robot."

He'd learned what robots were from Doctor Who. He thought the term fit his former situation perfectly and had used it more than once to describe himself.

"The guy you saw at the club. That was your brother?"

"Bill. The oldest. I can't...I can't go back. They washed their hands of me a long time ago. I can't go back," he repeated. He braced himself for a lecture on family and forgiveness, but was surprised when Audrey just nodded.

"Just because you're related, doesn't mean you owe them anything," she said. Bitterness crept into her tone. "When I got my job at the club, my dad kicked me out of the house. Burned my things on the front lawn. I left and never looked back. Once I finally managed to scrape together enough money for this place, my mum started calling me, telling me that dad was sorry and that I should come home. That they'll fix me up with a _real_ job."

"I assume you didn't?" he said, the corner of his lip twitching into a smile.

Audrey shook her head. "Told her I was happy. Then she started going on about how I owed it to them to make something better of myself. That as their only child, I should have more respect for their wishes. Well fuck that."

She leaned in close, pressing their foreheads together. "I don't owe them a damn thing, and you sure as fuck don't owe your family anything either. Even if you weren't under a spell, they still kicked you out because you took a job. You don't owe it to them to hear an explanation. And you sure as don't owe them a second chance."

With each word, Percy felt the knot in his chest become lighter. No matter what he decided, Audrey would support him. And as far as he was concerned, she was the only person in the world that mattered to him now.

"They'll find me," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "There are spells. There's no way they won't find me. I don't...I don't know if I can face them."

"Then you don't have to. I'll keep them out."

And Percy knew without a doubt that she could. Suddenly his eyelids felt heavy and his limbs felt like wet clay. The exhaustion settled over him like a heavy quilt, or maybe three. Audrey snuggled up against him, her small body warm against his.

"I'm tired," he said quietly. "I'm so tired."

"Sleep," she said softly. "I'll be right here."

He did.


	11. one day too late

A/N: So sorry it's taken so long to update! I'm so far behind on my other work I haven't had the brain power. Next chapter should come a lot quicker. Thank you all for your support!

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It took several days before Percy managed to fully relax. He barely went outside, and if he did, it was no farther than the porch, and no longer than ten minutes. But it got better. When days passed and the tell-tale crack of apparition remained absent, he finally began to calm. Audrey was always there. A balm on his fractured heart and mind. When he'd told her everything, he'd been scared to death that she'd tell him to talk to his family. That he should give them another chance. That she'd told him to do what was right for him and only him, meant more than he could ever put into words. A weight he hadn't even known he was carrying had been lifted.

He wanted to do more to help. A normal job was out of the question as he had no identity in muggle London. And cleaning the house was too easy. He had pondered for a while. Then he'd found a cook book at the bottom of a kitchen drawer. There was a recipe for a type of casserole that looked kind of simple. Memories of his own mother's cooking flickered, and he remembered how after a hard day, something like good food would make him feel better.

So Percy found himself doing the unthinkable; leaving the safety of their small home ("this is your home too, you know," Audrey had said firmly. "You're not a guest anymore."). There was a bit of cash in a cookie tin on the counter. He stuffed a few bills in his pocket, pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, and slipped out one evening while Audrey was at work.

It was hard. One of the hardest things he'd done in a long time. The road to the trailer park was quiet with only the occasional car going by. That part wasn't too bad. But then he got closer to town, and his heart started to pound. He took several deep breathes, kept his head down, and made it to the store, list of ingredients clutched in a sweaty palm. He moved quickly with his basket, hurrying down the aisles.

Food was really expensive. He had never really realized it. In the wizarding world, food was easy. Even his family, with all of their problems, were never left wanting. There was always three meals a day and more. Percy realized, stomach dropping, that Audrey must have been working her arse off to provide for him. It had been months, and he'd been nothing but a dead weight.

While paying for his haul, a rack caught his eye. He looked closer and saw row after row of seeds. Vegetable seeds. And they looked cheap. He still had a little bit of money left after. There was no one in line behind him. He grabbed as many seed packets as he could afford, trying to cover the basics, and ignored the grumbling cashier. His heart quickened with excitement. Maybe he couldn't help Audrey with rent, but he could help with this.

By the time he got home, there was still a bit of time left before Audrey would return. Percy set the water on to boil for the pasta, before working on his next project. He went outside and scouted their small yard, looking for the perfect spot. He pulled out his want, and with a wave, four large squares of earth were suddenly tilled, the soil dark and rich. He pulled the seeds out of his pocket, and carefully regarded the patches. He tried to remember how his mum managed her garden. He'd helped her as a child, but it had been a long time. Slowly the memories returned to him.

She's divided the garden into several plots. Every spring when they were replanted, she would rotate the crops to keep the soil rich. While magic could easily do the work, she said that magic could only take it so far. And as far as he knew, she had always had the biggest vegetables that he'd ever seen. He sorted the seeds into their categories, and with several flicks of his wand and less than five minutes, the four plots were lined in neat rows.

A little extra magic, and those seeds would grow within a week. He smiled, allowing his chin to raise higher than usual. Audrey would almost never have to pay for vegetables again. If they had a bit more room, he could plant fruit trees as well...he wondered how much trouble he'd be in if he expanded their property. Just slightly. Hell, if Audrey would let him, he could insure that they'd never have to pay rent again. But she was too honest. She didn't like the idea of stealing like that and had scolded him for even thinking about it.

Dinner turned out better than he thought it would. By the time Audrey came home, he had the plates set and the casserole out of the oven. Audrey had looked tired, but her face had brightened when she saw what he had done. "My God, that smells amazing."

Percy tried not to look too pleased with himself. It wasn't becoming. He ate his meal in silence as Audrey talked about her day. She'd covered as a bartender, and a couple regulars couldn't get it around their heads that she was off duty. But if she flirted back, they tipped well. Two men had gotten into a fist fight had were banned. And one of the dancers was fired for smacking a patron. She was a bitch anyway so no one really cared.

"So what's going on in the yard?" She asked.

"I planted a vegetable garden," Percy replied.

"Cool," Audrey said. "It's a bit late in the season though, isn't it? They won't even have enough time to bloom before it gets cold."

Percy pulled out his wand and levitated a can of beer over to the table. Audrey grinned. "Of course."

"I wanted to help," he said honestly. "I can't get a job or anything. The least I can do is provide a bit of food." He paused. "You know, if we had a bit more room in the yard, I could get some chickens. Maybe a few fruit trees..."

Audrey sighed, but a smile tugged at her lips. "And no one will notice?"

"No."

"We won't get in trouble?"

"I got it covered." He knew he had her convinced.

"Fine."

Score. He grinned. It faded only slightly at the soft smile on Audrey's face. "What?"

She put her hand over his. "You haven't smiled like this in a while. I missed it."

Pink bloomed on his cheeks, but he smiled back.

Just like Percy had planned, within two weeks the garden was nearly overflowing with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beans, among others. He quietly planted a couple fruit trees just off their property, with a couple notice-me-not charms. The only people that would notice were him and Audrey. He put together a small coop in the corner, on their property this time. When he brought home several chicks, he was momentarily deafened by Audrey's squeals of delight. The next morning, he woke up to a grumpy looking cat sitting on his bed, and her sitting on the couch with the yellow fuzzballs nestled in her lap.

With a bit more complicated spell work, he created a pretty solid basement for storage. He hadn't quite realized how much food the garden would produce and noticed quickly that they had more than they knew what to do with. A static charm would keep them from going bad.

He made all the meals now. He was happy to find that he had a natural talent in the kitchen. After the casserole, he tried a roast chicken. That didn't turn out quite as well, but the scalloped potatoes turned out nicely. Audrey bought several more cookbooks for him to try out and he noticed with some amusement, that she had bookmarked several pages. He tried an apple pie that night. It wasn't quite like his mother's pies, but it tasted pretty good.

Of all the members of his family, he missed her the most. He was still hurt and bitter, but he was closer to her than anyone else. She was the only one who stood up for him, who showed him any real affection. Memories of his own father holding back laughter as the twins made some jab flashed through his mind.

Maybe he'd write to her. Eventually.

The first frost had just hit. After making sure the now grown hens were warm in their coop (that had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made. Nothing at the market compared to fresh eggs), he and Audrey settled on the couch. He was getting good at the video game Super Mario. It was Audrey's day off and they spent the morning taking turns.

The loud crack outside made Audrey jump. "The hell was that?" She looked to Percy, concern flooding her expression at his pinched and pale face. There was a knock at the door. Percy made no move to answer it. His limbs felt stiff and heavy, and he couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs.

He could tell the exact moment when Audrey realized what was happening. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pulled up into a snarl. "I'll handle it," she said. There was another knock.

Percy briefly wondered who his brothers would find scarier. Audrey or their mum. He supposed he should just be happy that he was left in peace for this long.

With a deep sigh, he pulled himself up off the couch.


End file.
